Chicago Symphony Orchestra

Chicago Symphony Orchestra,

founded in 1891 when businessman Charles Norman Fay invited the German-born conductor Theodore Thomas to establish and lead a new city orchestra; he conducted it until his death in 1905. Orchestra Hall, designed by Daniel H. BurnhamBurnham, Daniel Hudson, 1846–1912, American architect and city planner b. Henderson, N.Y. He was trained in architects' offices in Chicago. In that city he established (1873) a partnership with John W......Click the link for more information., was built for it in 1904 with funds raised by public subscription; the hall is now part of Symphony Center, which was completed in 1997. Frederick StockStock, Frederick(Friedrich Wilhelm August Stock) , 1872–1942, German-American conductor and composer. He came to the United States in 1895 as a violist in the Chicago Orchestra and became (1899) assistant conductor......Click the link for more information., Thomas's assistant, succeeded him and conducted the orchestra until 1942. Rafael Kubelík (see under Kubelík, JanKubelík, Jan, 1880–1940, Czech violinist. Kubelík studied with Otakar Ševčik at the Prague Conservatory. He made his debut in Vienna in 1898 and was thereafter internationally acclaimed for his great virtuosity and dramatic power......Click the link for more information.), its conductor from 1950 to 1953, was followed by Fritz ReinerReiner, Fritz, 1888–1963, American conductor, b. Budapest. After serving as conductor of the People's Opera in Budapest (1911–14) and the Court Opera in Dresden (1914–21), he came (1922) to the United States as conductor of the Cincinnati Symphony.....Click the link for more information., who conducted until 1962. Sir Georg SoltiSolti, Sir Georg, 1912–97, English conductor, b. Hungary. He made his conducting debut in Budapest (1933) and later led orchestras in Switzerland, Germany, and France. Solti gained fame as music director (1969–91) of the Chicago Symphony Orchestra......Click the link for more information. conducted from 1969 to 1991 and was succeeded by Daniel BarenboimBarenboim, Daniel, 1942–, Israeli pianist and conductor, b. Buenos Aires, Argentina. He made his debut in Buenos Aires at seven. His family settled in Israel in 1952, and he studied at Rome's Santa Cecilia Academy and with Nadia Boulanger and others......Click the link for more information., who served as its conductor until 2006. Bernard Haitink subsequently served as interim conductor, and in 2010 Ricardo MutiMuti, Riccardo, 1941–, Italian conductor. Principal conductor of the Maggio Musicale (1969–81) in Florence and of the Philharmonia Orchestra (1973–82) in London, he became (1977) principal guest conductor of the Philadelphia Orchestra and succeeded (1980).....Click the link for more information. became principal conductor. The orchestra plays a summer season at Ravinia Park, in the suburbs north of Chicago.

Besides his music directorships with Los Angeles, Gothenburg and the Bolivar orchestra, heAAEll be guest conducting with the Vienna, Berlin, New York and Chicago orchestras, but never all four in one season.

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